The invention pertains to a method and to an apparatus for controlling the approach of a vehicle to an obstacle.
When a vehicle approaches an obstacle, especially during the attempt to park, unwanted driving situations can occur as a result of, for example, the limited view of the driver. Especially in the case of commercial vehicles, the driver cannot see the area behind the vehicle when in reverse. It is possible for the driver to estimate incorrectly the distance to the obstacle (especially the distance between the vehicle and a loading ramp), and it is also possible for the vehicle to be damaged and even for personal injury to occur if the driver fails to notice a person located behind the vehicle.
For this reason, parking aids have been developed, which use distance sensors (based on ultrasound or lasers) to measure the distance between the vehicle and the closest obstacle. This information is then presented to the driver optically and/or acoustically (see, for example, DE 35 03 352 A1). A further improvement of these solutions is found in DE 31 21 684 A1. This document describes a vehicle with several distance sensors, so that, as the vehicle is approaching an obstacle, the vehicle's environment, that is, the distance to the obstacle, can be displayed continuously to the driver and automatic actions taken on the drive or brake control units. The intended result is to influence the motion of the vehicle sufficiently in advance in such a way as to prevent contact with an obstacle.
The object of the invention is to control a vehicle's approach to an obstacle by intervention in the engine control and/or brake control.